Baltimore Ravens Vice President of Communications Kevin Byrne says the decision by running back Ray Rice to speak to reporters on Friday about his arrest in Atlantic City in February, was Rice's alone.

Rice and his wife Janay appeared for about seven minutes before reporters on Friday afternoon, noting that "he failed miserably," as a result of the assault on his then fiancee in an Atlantic City resort casino.

Byrne told "Maryland's News Now" that Ray Rice had approached him two weeks after his arrest in February that he wanted to speak to reporters about the incident, but Rice's lawyers told him not to do it.

Byrne said Rice had been keeping notes on what he wanted to say for the last three months, and he read those notes at Friday's briefing where he took no questions from reporters.

Byrne said that Rice's attorneys and the NFL Players Association told the running back he cannot take questions, because Rice is legally on probation.

Rice entered a diversion program in New Jersey this week, which includes further counseling. Rice could have his record cleared if he completes the program within a year.

Byrne stopped a reporter from asking a question after Rice and his wife finished their statement and stayed at the microphones in the auditorium for about a minute, before leaving the room.

Byrne said Rice approached him again on Wednesday about speaking to the media, after he entered the diversion program. Byrne said the team did not want him to speak on Friday,b tu to wait until General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Coach John Harbaugh were back in Owings Mills. Both were out of town on Friday.

Byrne believes that Rice will answer questions about the incident once the legal process is completed, or once NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell makes a decision on imposing some kind of punishment, which could include fines or a suspension.

A security camera video obtained by TMZ days after the February incident shows Rice dragging Janay out of an elevator. Byrne says there is another video that shows what happened in the elevator. Byrne says he has not seen it, but he has a full account of what happened that night.

Asked if Rice hit Janay Byrne told WBAL's Mary Beth Marsden, "I don;t want to talk about that because that's the big thing the lawyer have said, he should not talk about what happened in the elevator, but I will say this there was a physical confrontation between he and his wife."

For her part, Janay Rice told reporters that she "regretted" her role in the incident.

Atlantic City Police initially charged then Janay Palmer with assault, but prosecutors alter dropped those charges.

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